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Hello, I am currently looking for software specifically for the WK-1800 Synth (wavetable, GT-155F) Here is what I need from it: Can Read, Edit, Play, and Save .ct3 files, as well as the other WK-1800 native file formats (the WK-1800 tone file format) Can directly communicate with the WK-1800 Can save song/midi file, as well as read them can accurately emulate the wk-1800 Direct Playback on Hardware. Vertical Sequencer/Tracker Type Interface, available either natively or as a plugin. can see, use, play, and edit factory and user tones. I've got to have the Casio Tones Communicates via midi (if I have to mod my synth I am willing to, but I do not have equipment to do that with) I am wanting to make some music specifically for that synth, but I have not found any sequencers that can truly utilize or communicate with it. Especially with the strange voice limits it has when using dual-oscillator tones. (Especially multiple of those) I prefer working with trackers/vertical sequencers, but the only trackers I know of that can directly do MIDI are Open MPT and Renoise, one of which is paid, and neither of which I got working with my hardware. (I think IT/Schisim Tracker can also do MIDI, but I do not know how it set it up for them)

On eBay I had bought parts of a Casio Symphonytron. I don't own the entire stage organ system but only one CT-8000, the RC-1 accompaniment/drum machine and a defective MB-1 sequencer in very beaten up condition (full of scratches, dirt and glue residues), but no pedal board. It came without the CIDI (Casio's Infernal/Inferior/Internal/Instrument Digital Interface) cables, so I ordered 3 DIN14 cables for Atari ST floppy, those work perfectly with the RC-1 (with one keyboard it does key split accompaniment with arpeggio, and also the trio mode works). Like with Kawai MS20, when you set a preset sound on the keyboard it plays a short fanfare with it (always the same notes). How ever my MB-1 doesn't work at all (buttons don't respond and it makes sometimes a louder growing digital buzz); possibly the eprom is dead. Also CT-8000 and RC-1 contain (as the only Casio instruments I know) each a soldered eprom; I backed up all 3 to avoid data loss. Unfortunately my Symphonytron sequencer unit MB-1 is dead (does nothing, but plays note mess when touching the crystal etc.), so I am not sure if its eprom may have failed (dump does not change by reducing Vcc) or it might be still a bug by the lack of original CIDI port cables. - hardware details I have photographed all my Symphonytron PCBs from both sides. The multi-chip hardware is quite complex and particularly the RC-1 and MB-1 have several stacked PCBs in their crowded case. Fortunately there are are some pinout marks on them, those may help to decipher them. The MB-1 and CT-8000 both have the same CPU "NEC D8049C 364" (Intel MCS-48, I dumped its firmware) with sound IC "D931C 011". The RC-1 CPU is a "NEC D930G 011". So they are far relatives of the Casio CT-410V (MT-65) hardware class (minus the VCA, but with external ROM) which may help to research hidden functions of its chip set. I don't own the FK-1 pedal board, so I have no clue what is inside. Did you know that early Casio keyboards had a CPU compatible with Intel 8049? Unfortunately the "Willem Pro4 isp" eprommer had a way too weak power supply with tiny SMD transistors switching the voltages. One was burnt anyway, so I had to install bigger non-SMD ones to get the MCS-48 adapter to work. Casio "D8049C xxx" ICs need Vcc of at least 4.5V to read properly, which was impossible with the original transistors ans PSU (it gave only 4V even in 5.6V mode). I installed a 10kOhm resistor into the EA line to avoid damage by the +12V if the IC would not have supported it properly, and connected it to a 5kOhm potentiometer to vary the voltage, which I didn't need. (Too high EA voltage (15V) outputs only "00" while too low voltage (9V?) makes the CPU run its program and output garbage. At too low Vcc it repeats the first part of the rom again and again.) So I e.g. could read the firmware of the Symphonytron Casio CT-8000 cpu and Casio HT-6000 synth (its D80C48 seems to be a real CMOS IC that draws less current). Also MT-36,MT-40,MT-90/MT-200 and Casiotone 401 have such a CPU. - need service manual Eons ago I downloaded the complete Symphonytron user manual from an eBay link, but I have no schematics. Has anybody a service manual? Particularly I am interested in the MB-1 hardware, the official CIDI cable wiring (may the MB-1 only need a crossed wire somewhere?) and the pedal board (has anybody dumped the eprom?).

I finally got my hands on a Casio CTK-1000. It is unfortunately excessively bulky (like a 1970th Antonelli; at least the speakers are not bad). The synthesized IXA presets respond nicely to velocity and not only turn brighter and louder, but partly into metallic and resonant distorted timbres (physical modelling?). Picked strings, organs and synth pads are very nice. It can sound like a warm analogue synth and is well suited for new age music. In any preset sound 3 synth parameters {wave, attack, release} can be edited and saved as user preset. Their values can be 1..9, where 0 is the default. The behaviour of 'wave' depends on the preset sound. What sucks is that many brass, string and ensemble timbres are only loop samples with sampled vibrato, which of course changes speed with the note pitch until the next (well audible) split zone is reached; this rather reminds to 1990th Bontempi GM home keyboards or Potex sound toys than a serious synth. Despite many DSP effects, there are no vibrato or tremolo settings; instead many voices contain an annoying delayed vibrato that can not be disabled. Obnoxious is also that there seems to be no easy way to play in the chord section chords without rhythm or accompaniment. (May be you can program this as a "style", but thats not what a keyboard should do.) There is no key split mode except as part of some "split" preset sounds. The entire thing somehow feels like an ill designed cross between MA-130 kiddy keyboard and a very serious workstation. Absolutely insane is that despite complex multi-track sequencer with even editable styles and synth user presets there are no means at all for backup, so the only way not to loose them is to have fresh D-cells inserted and keep the AC adapter connected while changing batteries. (Why is there not even SysEx dump!? An SRAM upgrade module like those for SK-series could fix this.) The manual even warns to disable auto-power-off (hold 'tone' button and switch power on) during programming to avoid data loss. Interesting is that at least through midi (haven't tried) the sound engine is multi-timbrale and there is a "local off" mode that may permit to route the keyboard input through a PC to circumvent some design flaws (e.g. key split). Despite superficial similarities to the Casio VA-10 (both from 1993), the ICs are much bigger and have nothing common. main ICs: CPU= "NEC D939GD 010, 9315BA 006" (160 pin SMD, PCB label "UPD939GD-00X, NM-110", 20 MHz? crystal clocked)key velocity IC= "Casio HG52E35P, CDHG256, 3C33, Japan" (64 pin SDIL)ROM= "NEC D23C16000BCZ 065, 9314E7003, Japan" (42 pin DIL, 2MB)SRAM= "NEC D43256AC-12L, 9310AD019, Japan" (28 pin DIL, 256KB)DRAM= "Sanyo LC33832PL-70, 3DD0, Japan" (28 pin DIL, 256KB pseudo-static, PCB label HM65256BSP)DAC= "NEC D6376CX, 92498H003, Japan" (16 pin DIL)panel CPU= "NEC D78CP14CW, 9246PX701, Japan" (64 pin SDIL, 12 MHz crystal clocked)power amp= "LA 4620, 2J1" (23 pin SIL)IC= "F MB3771, 311F40" (8 pin DIL, PCB label "MB3771P")2x IC= "Mitsubishi 5216A 2607R" (8 pin DIL)transistor array= "LB1216, 3N9" (16 pin DIL)transistor array= "LB1233, 1H8" (16 pin DIL)optoisolator= "NJL 51270,2Y" (6 pin DIL)3x hybrid= "B9HC0118, 101Kx8" (9 pin SIL)The 16 bit ROM (I dumped it) is 2MB large and contains plenty of samples and curves, as well as plenty of strange wavy ramps; possibly IXA employs the mysterious "triangular wave modulation" (https://www.google.com/patents/US5164530). With ROM removed, the panel LEDs and display ("00") look normal, but nothing responds and no sound. The CPU "NEC D939GD 010" (160 pin SMD, 20MHz) seems to be successor of the MT-540 CPU ("NEC D938GD 005", 120 pin SMD, 2.17248MHz), but unlike the latter it interfaces velocity sensitive keys and parts of the control panel through 2 external large ICs and uses most of its 160 pins to access SRAM, DRAM and 2MB ROM simultaneously (no shared bus) to increase throughput per clock cycle. Despite high complexity it fortunately does not run hot and so neither shortens its own lifespan not that of the batteries. Strange is that parts of the control panel are handled by a fairly large CPU "NEC D78CP14CW" (64 pin SDIL) on a daughterboard with ribbon cable wired to empty IC holes on the panel PCB. This hints that Casio had planned a different user interface (perhaps a professional synth?). Many D78CP14CW pins are unused; most do nothing but some output matrix signals. Possibly an LCD was planned but no software written for it. Annoying is that you e.g. can not see the effect settings and so have to tweak sound by ear and count button presses (MT-750 did the same). Also the menu structure is quite restrictive; e.g. various mode changes stop rhythm. Perhaps the panel CPU was added to save computing time in the main CPU, which has more sound glitches and irregularities than MT-540. E.g. effect buttons cause strange transient pop noises, the sample split zones are much more audible (i.e. lack interpolation) and the awesome algorithmic program loops synthesis sounds are gone. (I.e. the 'sound effect' preset consists here only of a bunch of very plain behaving loop samples.) Knowing that MT-540 was a high grade variant of the softsynth-on-a-chip (Casio SA-series), I guess that Casio threw a lot of goodies out of their algorithm to save computing time for the IXA synthesis, effect section and higher polyphony. The only special behaving preset is 'synth-lead 2', which stays always monophonic with portamento, which hints that there are many hidden synthesis parameters. The effect section DSP may be in fact hardware (seen in Casio patents) and likely uses the DRAM. So it might be possible to install a microcontroller between CPU and RAM to edit further parameters or at least backup its content on persistent memory. It also may be that the strange D78CP14CW can be replaced with a programmable microcontroller to unleash hidden synth capabilities of this thing. Somewhat similar like CTK-1000 is the much smaller Casio VA-10 "Voice Arranger", which also has a DSP effect section and can route microphone input through it. But the ICs are different: CPU= "NEC D911GF 003, 9243AA005, Japan" (120 pin SMD)DSP?= "OKI M6583-04, 2432202, Japan" (60 pin SMD)DRAM= "Toshiba TC51832APL-85, 9236HAK, Japan" (28 pin DIL, 32KB pseudo-static)op-amp= "XRAI5218, 245 214A" (8 pin DIL, PCB label "M5218APR")power amp= "Motorola AN8056, 2'D6" (28 pin DIL)3x hybrid= "B9HC0118, 101Kx8, 2N" (9 pin SIL, PCB label "CNB8X101K")hybrid= "B9XC0118, 101Kx7, 20" (8 pin SIL)Although the main voice preset sounds resemble much Casio SA series keyboards, the main ICs strongly differ from all other small Casio keyboards. The double sided PCB is fairly complex with 3 large digital ICs and plenty of discrete components. The CPU "D911GF" is such exotic, that not even Google finds its name. As expected, also the "OKI M6583" has no datasheet, but plenty of Mitsubishi ICs with "M6583..." (different pin count) are audio delay DSP for reverb and echo effects in things like karaoke machines, so technical relations would be very plausible.

People claim that Casio CTK-1000 was a singleton without variants. But a predecessor might be Casio CT-770. Its functions look like CT-670 (a velocity sensitive fullsize variant of MT-750), but as a novelty it had additional illuminated buttons for DSP effects (reverb etc.). Has anybody heard if it has similar dynamic synth timbres like CTK-1000? (By space reasons I definitely do not want to buy one to try it out.) -Which CPU has the CT-770? Is it a "NEC D939GD" like in CTK-1000 (i.e. IXA synthesis), or is it based on earlier hardware (e.g. D937GD of MT-750 or D938GD of MT-540) with external effect DSP (e.g. the "OKI M6583-04" from VA-10)?

Hello, I am collector of music keyboards and electronic sound toys and partly modify them into synthesizers. This is my keyboard site: http://weltenschule.de/TableHooters/index.html I bought an eprommer ("Willem PRO4 isp",had unfortunately defective transistors and other flaws I had to fix) and have started to dump EPROMs and ROMs of my keyboard collection. - Has anybody tried yet to make an emulator (similar like MAME) for old Casio keyboards? E.g. Casiotone 401 and MT-40 are controlled by an Intel MCS-48 microcontroller which ROM I successfully dumped. So at least the accompaniment section would be possible to emulate yet. Robin Whittle (firstpr.com) found out much about the Consonant-Vowel synthesis main voice sound ICs in early Casios, which would be useful to emulate them. Also the various Casio calculator emulators on the internet might be useful to understand what kinds of special CPUs Casio has used. Google patent search helped much to get an idea what is going on inside of them. Unfortunately most early main ICs seem to be rather based on general digital logics (networks of gates, counters and flipflops - like a Pong game) than a CPU (software controlled by one central code ROM) in its stricter sense. I am still working on documenting the pinouts and functions (e.g. key matrix eastereggs) of all 1980th Casio home keyboard special ICs. For this I already have examined all service manuals I could find on free websites. Unfortunately there aren't many about first generation Casios. (If you need info, e-mail me.) I also own a dead SK-200 (from eBay,someone elses circuit-bending-corpse); after disabling the auto-power-off (to make it turn on),only all lights flicker wildly and there is some bus activity (seen on CRT oscilloscope), but it makes no sound at all. Does anybody know the symptom? Is the sound CPU dead?